A Week to Remember
by TimeGuardian
Summary: The wrong place, the wrong time – for Jonny Quest the circumstances were almost deadly. Now preventing military missiles from falling into the wrong hands means that he has a week to remember what happened to him.
1. Chapter 1

_**A Week to Remember  
by Timeguardian**_

_**Chapter One**_

The hospital cafeteria was a hive of activity given that it was just after one in the afternoon on a Friday.

For Dr. Benton Quest, none of that mattered.

For him, the confines of the hospital were a familiar home for him for the past week. Even the desserts in the cooler near the cafeteria register looked unchanged. He proceeded through the self service buffet line, looking at the options but really not seeing them. In the end Dr. Quest grabbed a protein, a vegetable, and a drink before moving to pay for his meal.

He wasn't hungry, but anything was better than the waiting.

Once he cleared the lunch line, he made his way to a table along the far wall of the cafeteria. The cafeteria itself was large, but simply decorated with simple wallpaper with random flower patterns throughout. Along the far wall was a bank of windows that overlooked another building that was part of the hospital.

Tables lined the wall, and he headed for the middle table in the group.

As Dr. Quest sat down at the table, he cast a glance at his two seatmates, who he realized looked as weary as he felt.

He moved his tray in front of him and stared at it, as if by some miracle it could provide him answers.

Race Bannon finally broke into his thoughts with a question. "Are you going to eat or stare at it all day?"

Dr. Quest looked up at him sharply. Across from him, his friend and bodyguard sat glaring at him.

For years now Race had simply been there, from when Intelligence One first assigned him to protect him and Jonny, until the time that they moved from Florida to Maine and he hired Race as a personal security for his operations. He also considered Race a friend, which made it easier to voice the fears that were on his mind.

"What am I supposed to do, Race? Jonny has been in a hospital bed unconscious with a concussion now for nearly a week. We know that he was taken close to a month ago along with the computer system we were planning to take to Florida. It took us nearly two weeks to track them as far as a warehouse near the marina where we found that Jonny had been abandoned. Now some criminal group is threatening to modify and use my system to hack the US military missile defense systems unless a ransom is paid. You and I both know that none of the government agencies has been able to locate this person."

Hadji Singh, who was sitting beside Race, looked up from his own meal and stared at him. "Letting your health go is not going to help anyone either, Dr. Quest."

Dr. Quest sighed. "You're right, Hadji."

Race gave him a sympathetic look. "Benton, I know this is a tense situation, and we are under a deadline. All we can hope for is that when Jonny wakes up he will be able to give us a clue to this group's operations. In the meanwhile the combined resources of Intelligence One, the FBI, and the CIA, are doing everything they can to find this group."

Although Race didn't say it, Dr. Quest knew those efforts did not amount to much so far. He wanted so much to be in on the search himself, but his need to be there for Jonny overrode everything else. "I know- I-"

The events of the past few weeks fast forwarded through his brain like a dizzying ride. Many mistakes were made, Jonny was injured, and his technology was in the hands of people who wanted control through fear.

It was then he felt a hand on his arm and looked to find that Race was now looking at him with a worried look. "Don't. Please, we need to move forward - for all of our sakes, including Jonny's."

"You're right."

But for all the assurances that Race was offering, Dr. Quest still sat there. He ventured a look back at his food, but made no move for it.

Race's voice was firmer this time. "We are not moving until you eat. Intelligence One agents are guarding his room so no one can see him except for us and the doctors. He's safe."

* * *

Jonny Quest woke up to plain green walls and a dull headache. _A hospital._

There was no telling what time it was and even if he knew, he wasn't sure if he would believe it. There was a window at the far corner of the room and sunlight was streaming through - so it was daytime at least.

Taking stock in himself, Jonny realized that he was lying in what seemed to be a hospital bed. Testing his limbs, he found that his arms and legs were responsive but when he tried to move his head, the dull headache threatened to turn into something more. _Better to keep still._

He slowly lifted a hand to find what looked like a sensor attached to his finger and an IV line coming out of his arm. _How long have I been here?_

Jonny then tried accessing his memories. Despite the headache, he could remember his name and things about his family and friends, which seemed like a good sign.

When he put his hand back down, Jonny noticed an oversized armchair in the corner of the room, and Jessie Bannon was sprawled in the middle of it sound asleep.

Dressed in a dark blue blouse and black jeans, Jessie was scrunched in one corner of the chair, her arms draped closely to her side.

There was no one else in the room that he could see, so Jonny called out to her. "Jess?"

His voice sounded weak but it was enough. Jessie stirred, righting herself in the chair and stretching her arms up in the air.

When Jessie looked over at him, Jonny noticed the look of relief in her eyes. "Hunh - oh Jonny, you're awake. Your dad is going to be mad that he missed you waking up. How do you feel?"

He smiled, tempted to give her a flippant remark, but couldn't quite manage it. "Actually, I feel pretty lousy."

She returned the smile, but Jonny could tell that there was something off about her behavior. Before he could question it, she replied. "I bet. Want me to go get your dad or Hadji? They're in the hospital cafeteria right now with my dad getting some lunch."

Jonny shook his head, much to the detriment of his headache. "Not yet. I'm still trying to get my thoughts together."

Jessie went silent on him, and that was when Jonny noticed something else weird. On Jessie's left wrist there seemed to be a cast. He couldn't ever remember her getting injured like that since she came to live with Race.

Jessie asked another question which distracted him. "Jonny, what's the last thing you remember before waking up here?"

He had not yet had an opportunity to try remembering recent events. Jonny did his best to focus - the memory was slow in coming but finally he latched onto the last viable memory he could come up with. "I remember helping dad pack up for our trip to see Professor Lawson over in Florida."

Jonny felt good about coming up with that memory until he saw the now haunted look in her eyes. He panicked. "Jess, what is it? You can tell me anything."

It was nearly a minute before Jessie finally told him. "Jonny, that was about a month ago."

* * *

_Hi- it's been a while - it'll be slow goings, but I promise to try and make this worth the wait if you stick around._

_Till next time,_

_TimeGuardian_


	2. Chapter 2

_**A Week to Remember  
by Timeguardian**_

_**Chapter Two**_

Stan Maxwell was a nervous man.

He paced the small space of the cabin he was in and wondered if he had lost his mind. It was only two years ago that he was living in Florida, working a dead end job as a janitor at a used car lot. It barely paid the bills, so he broke into places to steal things to sell.

When he chose to break into a warehouse six months ago, Stan found a whole new world when he was quickly discovered and cornered by the warehouse owner, Rex Miller.

Stan thought that his life was over but instead of turning him over to the local authorities, Rex offered him a fat roll of cash for him to become his personal assistant. It seemed too good to be true, but the lure of the money was too good to resist.

As the weeks passed, Stan found that what he thought was a benevolent employer had secrets below the surface: Rex Miller was the head of a major terrorist group determined to take over the United States of America.

Despite his standards, Stan never signed up to kill and when their last operation amounted to murder, he was ready to give up if his nerves didn't first.

He felt his short brown hair brush against the ceiling of the cabin while he paced and that only served to add claustrophobia to the list of his fears. "I don't feel good about this, Mister Miller. We should have left Maine. What if they find us?"

Stan continued pacing around the area as he watched his boss sitting at a small dining table. A small laptop lay before Rex, and he was focused on current information that was going across the screen at a quick rate.

Compared to Stan, Rex was nearly two feet shorter than him but made up for it in physique. Regular visits to the gym along with strenuous workouts in various martial arts left Rex looking like a contender for a Mister Universe competition, but it was the degree in business that made him a dangerous man.

Rex didn't even bother to look up as he spoke. "Relax. We have the cloaking technology that we stole from Professor Lawson before we killed him. We were able to safely leave the warehouse where the transfer was to take place and make it here. Since this campground is no longer in business, no one will be around to bother us. The rest of our group is in Washington awaiting our signal."

"But does that thing cloak signals though? Cause when we send the signal-"

Annoyed, Rex slammed his hand down on the table hard enough to make the laptop jump. "Listen, Stan – there is a reason why I am the brains in the operation and you are the muscle. You couldn't even get a simple thing right when we stole the plane with Dr. Quest's invention. You were supposed to ensure that everybody got off the plane before you attempted to take it!"

His anger seemingly spent, Rex then turned back to the laptop. "Besides, before we even attempted this phase of the operation, I made sure that one of my operatives had obtained control of one of the many satellites in the sky. When the time is right, we will either have our money or we will incite anarchy. Now if you are going to be this antsy, why don't you go outside and patrol? Make sure we are not disturbed. I don't want to have to do to you what I did to that Quest boy."

Stan gave him an incredulous look before stalking towards the front door of the cabin.

* * *

Jessie's announcement of the length of time between his last memory and now did not do Jonny any favors. In fact his first reaction was disbelief – Jessie pulled gags on him before, after all.

He finally found his voice again. "Jess, please tell me you are kidding."

"I wish I was, Jonny."

Jonny put his head in his hands. By some small chance, by some miracle, he tried going through his recent memories again, but it was no use. He could remember helping dad and Race pack up for a trip to Florida and that was it. He looked back up at Jessie with curiosity and worry. "Did we make it to Florida? Is dad all right?"

"No, and your dad is fine."

He was surprised that she answered so quickly but when Jonny moved to ask another question, Jessie held up a hand to stop him. "Please, Jonny let me get the doctor for you to check you out before we continue this conversation."

He couldn't think – couldn't feel for the moment. Jonny ended up nodding slowly.

One hour later –

When Dr. Quest, Race, and Hadji made their way back to Johnny's room, they spotted Jessie sitting on a bench outside talking to the I-One guards that were guarding the door.

Race stepped forward. "Jessie? What's going on?"

His daughter turned and Race could see relief in her face. "He's awake. The doctor is in the room checking him out now and told me to wait out here."

Race could hear Benton mutter. "Thank God."

Before he could stop his friend, Benton strode forward and pushed through the door into Jonny's room with Hadji hot on his heels.

When he tried to follow suit, Race felt a tug on his arm and turned to find that Jessie was trying to get his attention. "Dad-"

The relief he saw in her face only moments ago was now replaced by concern. "What is it, Jess?"

"Let them have a moment together – there's something you should know."

* * *

After being poked and prodded by the doctor for nearly an hour, Jonny was ready to scream. The doctor himself was a short balding man, but the way he kept feeling around Jonny's head and shining a light into his eyes was annoying him more than anything.

When he spotted his dad and Hadji coming through the door, Jonny nearly sighed in relief.

The doctor looked up at the new people in the room and after a moment, turned back to Jonny. "Well, young man, you are incredibly lucky. Based on your test results, there is no lasting injury. The missing part of your memory will come back with time and rest. Let me just have a few moments with your father."

Jonny watched as the doctor walked over and drew his father over into the corner near the window.

"Jonny."

He looked over to find that Hadji came to the side of his bed. Jonny managed a smile for his adopted brother and friend.

For what it was worth, Hadji's face showed little more than relief as he spoke. "It is good to see you."

"You too, Hadj," Jonny replied solemnly. "I guess you heard what the doctor said."

"You were very lucky, Jonny."

Lucky? A flash of anger ran through Jonny. How could he feel lucky? He was missing memories!

It was then that his father came to the other side of the bed. One look from him and Hadji left.

His father waited until Hadji was out of the room. "Son, I'm so sorry."

He couldn't stand to see the pity in his father's eyes, so Jonny chose to look down at his hands before he spoke. "Dad, don't. The doctor told me that this memory loss wouldn't be permanent. When can we go home?"

Jonny looked up to find that his father was doing the wandering eye routine. His dad looked out of the far off window for many moments. "Of course, son. The doctor has cleared it as long as we keep a close eye on you. I'll get to work on it right away."

Jonny fought back a frown. This is what he wanted but dad was now the second person to be acting weird around him. Jessie was the first but she cleared out of the room before he could find out more, and Hadji didn't even stay around long enough to be questioned.

Well, he would simply have to find out what was going on.

_Jessie says I've missed a month- I'll just have to try and fill in the blanks.  
_

* * *

_Stubbornness is in the Quest gene pool – Dr. Quest doesn't want to lay any initial pressure on Jonny, while Jonny already smells something fishy. This could get messy._

_Thank you for sticking around – working my way through Rheumatoid Arthritis is no fun. As I stated in my profile, I have not abandoned my stories but I am learning to pace myself. Next chapter – Homeward bound – let the nightmares begin! (Insert evil laughter here.)_

_Till next time,_

_Timeguardian_


	3. Chapter 3

_**A Week to Remember  
by Timeguardian**_

_**Chapter Three**_

_Jonny ran through the checklist for the plane's controls with an air of impatience. He was eager to get to Florida and visit with Professor Lawson and other old friends, so he did everything he could to speed up the process, which included helping his dad load the plane and make sure it was ready for takeoff. The bonus was the implied hint by Race that his efforts would get him one step closer to proper flying lessons._

_Jessie Bannon's voice drifted to him as she entered the cabin. "The computer's loaded. Dad said they would need about ten more minutes and then we take off."_

"_Sounds good," Jonny replied as he looked around to find that a stranger had entered the cabin behind Jessie!  
_

* * *

"Jonny! Jonny, please wake up!"

Eyes open, Jonny sat bolt upright, his heart threatening to pound out of his chest. It took him a few moments to acclimate himself, but he slowly realized where he was.

Around him, the familiar confines of his dad's car came into focus. On either side of him, the worried faces of Jessie and Hadji stared back at him. From the front passenger seat, his father looked back at him with worry.

That's right, his family was bringing him home from the hospital. The ride was taking a while, and the drone of the engine and the road noise lulled him to sleep – until he started dreaming.

"Are you all right son?" his dad asked.

Jonny tried latching onto the remnants of his dream but just as quickly as it had formed in his dreams, the images quickly dissipated.

He sighed in frustration. "I'm okay, dad – it was just a nightmare."

That seemed to satisfy his dad, who then turned back into his seat.

"You were thrashing about, Jonny," Jessie commented. "It scared us."

As his breathing returned to normal, Jonny pondered. "Maybe I was fighting for my life. It sure felt like it."

Jessie gave him a weird look before turning around and facing front again.

It was nearly another half hour before the scenery that they were driving through became familiar and soon they were going through the main gates and coming to a stop in the courtyard by the main house.

_I'm home._

Race shut off the engine and looked around. "Jessie, Hadji, why don't you help Jonny out of the car?"

Jonny had the presence of mind to roll his eyes as Jessie and Hadji opened their respective doors. "Oh come on, Race, I only got a crack on the head, I'm not totally helpless."

"Why don't you humor Race?" his father replied. "You are supposed to be relaxing anyway."

Jonny counted to ten before shifting his weight and moving towards the open car door that Hadji got out of. He carefully eased his legs out of the car until his sneakers made contact with the ground.

When he tried to push himself into a standing position, Jonny found that his legs were slow to the task and he fell back down into the seat.

He noticed Hadji approaching him worriedly, so he held up a hand to hold him off. "I'm all right, just a little stiff."

When Jonny tried again, he found that he was finally able to stand on his own.

"I'll help you upstairs, Jonny. We can get settled in and catch you up," Hadji declared as he held out a hand.

Jonny looked at him with a slight annoyance before sighing in resignation. If he was actively going to pursue getting his memories back, he was going to need all of the friendly help he could get. "All right Hadji, let's go. Jessie, want to come with?"

From the other side of the car, Jessie walked around and gave them a reluctant look. "Okay."

After they watched the kids enter the house, Dr. Quest then turned to Race. "I have a feeling he's not going to sleep tonight, though Hadji and Jessie seem to be acting weird around him."

"Come on, Benton, we haven't seen him in a month, and his memories are not all there. Until we settle in and figure out where we all stand, it is going to be an awkward situation. In the meanwhile, I've got a call to make – Phil Corbin left me nearly a dozen messages at the hospital earlier, but I was busy helping you get Jonny out of there," Race stated gruffly.

"Go on then," Dr. Quest replied. "I have a few things to get out of the car and then I will be right in there."

It was nearly twenty minutes before he had everything secured to his satisfaction. Dr. Quest then locked the car and headed towards the house.

Once he was inside, he made a decision to check up on what Race found out. Following the sound of his friend's voice, he headed towards his study.

Sure enough, once Dr. Quest entered, he found that Race was still in a conversation on the phone.

He listened as Race finished the call. "Thanks for the update, Phil. I will make sure that Dr. Quest is aware and make sure this place is secure."

Dr. Quest waited patiently while Race disconnected the phone and turned to face him.

"Race, what is it? What did you find out from Phil?"

Race let out a rough breath before he looked him directly in the eyes. "Benton, we have a problem. There was a leak at the hospital. Take a look at this. IRIS, display on main view screen the Rockport Chronicle, today's date."

Around them they heard a tone before hearing IRIS' computer monotone reply. "Searching – displaying newspaper Rockport Chronicle, front page, today's date."

Both men watched as the view screen situated on the far wall flared to life. On it, the front page of what looked like a newspaper was displayed.

Race stepped closer to the screen and quickly scanned the words. The main article at the top of the page mentioned something about a Governor's press conference, but it was the secondary article entitled "Quest Son Leaves Hospital" that had his interest. He took nearly a minute to skim the article on the screen before turning to his friend and pointed to the second article. "Read that."

Benton did as he asked. As he read, a sense of dread rose within him. "They reported that Jonny's awake and that we've taken him home. If this has hit the local level, it's no stretch that it will make the national media."

Race frowned before muttering a curse. "There's another problem with this. They didn't mention a word about his amnesia."

"Race, what are you saying?"

His friend and security advisor turned back to him, his features hard as stone. "It means that a big target has just been placed on Jonny's back."

* * *

Rex sat in the cabin staring at his laptop computer screen. Various plans ran through his mind at breakneck speed – a side effect of doing his own financial transactions and trading of stocks online. It took control and careful timing, and he found that it kept him sharp.

The cabin was nearly quiet, thanks to his foresight in sending Stan to the nearest market for supplies. Stan was useful for breaking and entering and basic theft jobs, but his nervousness around their recent activities left Rex wondering if he needed new help.

Suddenly the door to the cabin opened swiftly and he could hear Stan's shouts. "Boss! Boss!"

"Stan, what the Hell is it?" Rex asked in annoyance. "I tell you to venture into town for supplies and be unobtrusive about it, and you come in shouting like it's the end of the world."

In response, Stan stalked quickly to the small table that Rex was sitting at and set a small grocery bag down. He opened it quickly and grabbed out a newspaper. "The Quest kid survived and he's been taken home! The paper has an article on it!"

"Tell me something I don't know," Rex replied harshly as he read the rest of the article. "Well, we shall have to do something about it now, won't we?"

He watched in some amusement as Stan gawked at him, "You knew about this?"

Rex smiled harshly. "You may be my personal assistant for the moment, but you do not have any idea how big this operation is. If I happen to have a source in the hospital feeding me information, than that is none of your concern. Unfortunately, my source was unable to determine if young Jonathon Quest talked, but we can take care of that quite easily."

"But boss, you gave that kid quite the beating – I'm sure he barely remembers his own name, let alone anything we've talked about."

After Stan's protest, Rex turned to face him. His assistant would definitely need more scrutiny, but for the moment, Rex needed him.

He deliberately steered the conversation back to his point. "His home will be heavily fortified, I'm sure. We will simply have to keep an ear out – the timetable will have to be advanced of course but on the chance the kid remembers anything, he will have to be taken care of."

"But what if he's already blabbed what he knows, boss?"

Rex waved his hand dismissively. "Regardless of the circumstances, we shall have to finish the job I started then, won't we?"

* * *

_Brr. More soon of course._

_Till next time,_

_Timeguardian_


	4. Chapter 4

_**A Week to Remember  
by Timeguardian**_

_**Chapter Four**_

Jessie Bannon paced around her room, absently rubbing her hand against the cast that was on her left wrist. Her body was nearly whole again – her bruised ribs were pretty much healed and she only had another week with the blasted cast and -

"Jessie."

She whirled around quickly at the intrusion, her heart threatening to beat out of her chest. "Damnit Hadji, don't scare me like that!"

Hadji stood in the doorway to her room. The look of surprise on his face, Jessie could understand that – cursing was not something she was known to do. The look of pity that Hadji then gave her was what nearly did her in.

He stepped into the room. "You can not avoid Jonny forever."

Jessie turned her back on him. "Thanks for stating the obvious. What am I supposed to tell Jonny anyway? That he has lost a month of his life and got into this mess saving me from those guys who stole Doctor Quest's equipment? I abandoned him, Hadji!"

"That is your guilt talking and to hear Race tell it, you were thrown out of the plane – you did not have much choice in the matter."

Jessie closed her eyes briefly at the painful memory. In the back of her mind, she knew that Hadji was right but ever since they had received the news that Jonny had been found, she couldn't help feeling guilty about what happened.

She flinched slightly as she felt Hadji's hand on her shoulder. "Besides, I have known Jonny longer than you have, Jessie – he would not be able to leave anyone in danger, save for when Race or Doctor Quest is physically dragging him out of it. You should know this by now."

Jessie turned around with a small smile on her face. "You're right of course, Hadji, but if you know that, you know full well he's going to try and remember things on his own."

"We will not let him, of course," Hadji declared.

"All right, Hadji, but how?" Jessie shot back.

A familiar voice drifted from her doorway. "Maybe by helping me fill in the rest of the blanks?"

Jessie and Hadji turned to find that Jonny was now standing in the doorway to her room.

Jonny took a few steps into the room before he spoke again. "I was wondering what was taking you two so long to come to my room for a planning session. Hadji's right about me, you know. I couldn't leave either of you in trouble if you were in danger. We're a team, after all."

Jessie stared at him for a long moment before striding up to him and wrapping her arms around him in a fierce hug.

"Hey, hey, easy Jess," Jonny painfully protested. "I'm still a little on the fragile side."

Laughing, Jessie released him and took a step back. For the first time in a long while, the guilt she felt was beginning to disappear. "Sorry. Of course we're going to help you get your memory back. We only have part of the story but maybe if we remind you of what happened that day, it might spark something else. However, there's just two problems with what we are about to do – one, your dad is expecting you to rest and recover."

Jonny shrugged. "That's simple enough. I can beg to be around you guys and Quest World. What better way for me to get my mind moving again? Now, what about this second problem?"

Hadji spoke up this time. "Race and Doctor Quest had the hospital covered with Intelligence One agents while you were there in case those men came back to finish the job. I fear our movements are going to be restricted around here as well."

"Oh come on, you don't think those idiots will come here, do you? Dad and Race have designed this place to be a virtual fortress when in lockdown," Jonny declared.

In reply, Hadji and Jessie turned Jonny around and pushed him out of the room.

"There's still a lot we need to clue you in on, so we better get going," Jessie stated. "It's going to be a long night."

* * *

After Race and Doctor Quest monitored the news feeds for nearly an hour in the living room, they were somewhat relieved to find that only two of the major news outlets picked up on the story of Jonny leaving the hospital.

"They're still managing a news blackout about these threats against the country by these terrorists," Doctor Quest noted. "How could they miss this?"

Race shook his head as he heard the doorbell ring. "Benton, that's something we will find out, I promise you. I need to get that – Phil promised to come by so he could update us on their efforts."

Doctor Quest paced around for a moment before Race returned with Phil Corbin. "Come in, Phil."

Phil Corbin walked in slightly ahead of Race. The head of Intelligence One was starting to get some gray hair, but was otherwise pretty much like Doctor Quest had remembered him.

"I didn't get a chance to see you in the hospital, Doctor Quest," Phil stated without preamble, "How is Jonny settling in?"

Doctor Quest arched a brow before glaring at him. "And hello to you too, Phil. He's upstairs with Jessie and Hadji – knowing my son, he's probably pumping them for information as we speak."

Phil frowned at him. "Are you sure that's wise with it being so soon?"

"Believe me, if it were my choice Jonny would be locked in his room with a twenty-four hour guard. As it stands, his doctor stated that he has not sustained any permanent physical damage," Dr. Quest replied as he took a seat on the sofa. "The kids are also not going to be able to give him all the answers. We'll keep a close eye on them to make sure it isn't too much for Jonny. Now if it isn't too much to ask, what is the status of the search for this group that took my equipment?"

Phil opened his mouth to answer when a loud chirping sound came from his belt. Looking down, he quickly snatched up the cell phone that he had stored there and answered it. "Corbin. Yeah – what? What channel? Thanks, I'll get back to you."

Phil pointed to their view screen as he placed his phone back on his belt. "There's another communication that just went out – those bastards have gone public with their threat. Can you tune in to one of the news channels?"

Race glanced at him briefly before ordering IRIS to bring up the first news channel that could be found that was airing that information.

Seconds later the view screen flared to life displaying an over exuberant male anchorman, his voice in a state of nervous excitement as he made his report. "Ladies and gentlemen, if you are just joining us, minutes ago the airwaves were dominated by a video transmission by an apparent terrorist group."

The video then switched and changed - there was no contrast at all, only fuzzy dark shapes. A human-like shape approached the camera and started speaking. "Welcome, America, you are looking at your future ruler and master."

The voice was obviously computer disguised, but still came across deep and strong. "Not too long ago, I came into possession of a way to take over the missile systems of your poor pathetic national defense system. With that much power, I think I deserve a little respect and compensation."

The shadowy shape then lifted an arm and pointed towards the screen, "I want the promise of the President of the United States that five hundred million dollars will be wired to an account of my choosing before the end of the week. If not, well let's just say that the cleansing of America will begin. You have just a week to wake up, America, before we show your leaders what it means to rule with an iron fist."

After the last declaration, the video feed switched back to the anchorman, who then stated, "Early statements from the White House and the various law enforcement agencies indicate that they have not been able to trace the source of the transmission, but they are continuing to investigate the situation."

Doctor Quest could feel his anger building as he ordered IRIS to shut the screen down.

Phil wheeled around on them with a look of grim determination in his eyes. "We have our deadline, gentlemen – so what are we going to do about it?"

* * *

_More soon of course._

_Till next time,_

_Timeguardian_


	5. Chapter 5

_**A Week to Remember  
by Timeguardian**_

_**Chapter Five**_

Doctor Quest glared at Phil Corbin. "We will do what we do best. We'll find this group and get my equipment back."

The I-One agent gave him a wary look. "Now, Doctor Quest-"

Race held up a hand. "Benton is right – we have the best chance of finding these guys. I know you were made the head of the official inter-government agency task force on this, Phil, but you guys have been drawing blanks since Jonny's been found."

Phil glanced at them both before finally sighing. "Is it too much to ask you two to keep me in the loop?"

Doctor Quest nodded. "As always – now is it too much to ask for you to keep us in the loop as well? I don't like surprises."

"That is one thing that we can both agree on," Phil declared sourly as they all walked back towards the front door. As he opened the door to leave, he turned to address them both. "One last thing I came to tell you two – Professor Lawson? Authorities in Florida found him murdered only hours before your equipment was taken and Jonny kidnapped. By all means, do what you do best, but watch yourselves."

And with that, Phil left, shutting the door behind him.

Nothing about this situation surprised him anymore. Benton stretched his arms and rolled his shoulders. He felt his muscles protest the move – tension was clearly there. Things were happening fast and spiraling out of control.

He moved towards the stairs. "I want to go up and check on Jonny and then head to bed, Race."

Race motioned him on. "You do that. I need to make some arrangements around here and check a few settings with IRIS. Good night, Benton."

* * *

Jonny sat cross legged on his bed in his room. The events of the day were catching up to him, and he caught himself yawning more than once. Hadji took a seat on a corner of the bed while Jessie took a seat at the chair for Jonny's desk.

Jessie frowned at him. "Are you sure you are up for this?"

Jonny glared at her. Initially when he woke up she was acting weird, and was initially relieved to clear the air with her. He couldn't quite keep the irritation out of his voice. "Look, stop the overprotective act, will you? I'm not on my death bed – are you two going to help me or not?"

"We have been worried about you, Jonny," Hadji quietly stated. "Seeing you so still in a hospital bed for a week left us concerned for you."

It took a moment for the words to sink in before Jonny gave each of them a guilty glance. "I'm sorry. Go ahead."

Jessie nodded. "Okay, a little over a month ago, Dr. Quest talked with Professor Lawson in Florida about letting him use a special computer system he developed."

Jonny nodded. "I remembered that much. Dad came into my room two days before that and asked me if I wanted to go. I wanted to visit Florida and see the Professor again, so I said sure."

"And both of us agreed to go as well," Jessie concurred.

"On that day, Race drove us in his car to a warehouse that was next two a private airstrip. Dr. Quest had the Quest jet there ready to be loaded the special computer," Hadji continued. "Race ended up convincing you to stay with the plane and run through the checklist for takeoff-"

"Because Race hinted that he would be willing to give me flying lessons with the jet if I could show responsibility for it – that much I remembered in a nightmare I had when dad and Race was driving us home earlier," Jonny finished for him, "what about you two?"

Hadji eyed him with curiosity before continuing the story. "I was in the warehouse helping to bring the equipment to the plane. There were two pallets of the computer equipment, and I was helping Race get the pallets onto a pallet jack. The rear cargo panel of the jet was lowered down so that we could load the equipment on board in the cargo bay. We managed to load the equipment and then we came back off to finish up back in the warehouse. Nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary."

"Wait," Jessie stated. "Jonny, that nightmare you had in the car – how much more do you remember of it?"

"Someone came up behind you, Jess, and then I woke up."

Jonny watched as an uncomfortable look passed over Jessie's face. She got to her feet and paced nearly for a minute before she stopped and turned back towards him. "There were two of them, Jonny. At first, only one of them invaded the cockpit. He managed to get me in a chokehold from behind, but I managed to break it by stomping back on the guy's feet. We started to gang up on the guy when the other muscle bound goon showed up."

Jonny was excited now. Bits and pieces of his earlier nightmare filtered back through his mind. He was remembering more things about the first man, but - "Muscle bound? Jessie you saw what they looked like – didn't you-"

"Please Jonny, let her finish," Hadji insisted.

"They locked the cabin door leading to the cargo area," Jessie continued. "They pulled guns on the both of us and then ordered us to close the rear cargo panel."

Despite not being aware of what was going to happen next, a feeling of dread began to settle in the pit of Jonny's stomach. He swallowed hard. "Well- we all know it doesn't end well, because look at where we ended up. You even have a cast on your wrist, Jess."

Jessie looked down at her wrist before looking back up at Jonny. "I was the closest one to the rear cargo panel lever. The muscle bound goon was shorter than the other guy, so I thought I could kick the gun out of his hand and run. I thought I could reach him. I then tried to give you a look to see if I could get your help."

Her voice trailed off and it was nearly a minute before she continued again. "You went after the tall one, trying to go for a leg sweep while I tried my idea. It was chaos and I lost track of you because the muscle bound goon got the upper hand and managed to drag me to the open door to the outside. The next thing I'm aware of, I'm writhing in pain on the runway and I heard the plane taxi off. Dad and Dr. Quest got to me a few seconds later."

Jonny shook his head sadly. He now had part of his story, but he could tell what it cost Jessie. He stood and then walked over to her, giving her a light hug. "Jess, you could have been killed. None of us could have anticipated an attack like that."

He released her and stepped back. "So, that's the last you two saw of me before I was found?"

Jessie and Hadji nodded.

Jonny went over to his dresser and opened the bottom drawer, grabbing for a pair of pajamas and then closing the drawer. "Give me a few minutes. I'll be right back."

His mind was whirling madly with the additional information as he headed into the bathroom. After fifteen minutes in the shower and then changing into his pajamas, Jonny's mind was no further along. It frustrated him.

When he came back into his room, Jonny yawned and looked at his two friends before shaking his head sadly. "Still nothing – I'm sorry, this memory recovery thing is not going to be easy."

Hadji stood up and stretched before looking at him in sympathy. "You look like you are ready to drop at any moment. Maybe a good sleep is what you need, Jonny."

Jonny nodded slowly. "Eh, who knows? Now that I know how I got into this mess, maybe I can fill the blanks in my sleep."

Jessie leaned in close, pointing at Jonny. "Don't push yourself like that, hotshot, or you'll end up back in the hospital."

A new voice piped up in agreement. "She's right, son."

Jonny turned to find that his father was standing at the doorway to his room.

* * *

Benton stood and checked his watch. It was late. One glance at Jonny yawning was enough. "Jessie, Hadji, why don't you two get to bed? I want to talk to Jonny for a few minutes."

He walked into the room, waiting a moment as Hadji and Jessie filed out of the room.

Once they were alone, Jonny walked over and sat down heavily on his bed. "Dad, what is it?"

He could hear the annoyance in his son's voice. Benton sighed as he moved to sit down beside his son. "I fear Jessie and Hadji already have you worked up."

"They told me how the hijacking went down. It wasn't much, and I can't think of anything else."

It was as he suspected - Benton knew his son was no pushover. "I debated whether or not to tell you this, Jonny, but the people that stole my equipment and kidnapped you are making public demands for a lot of money. They threatened to take over US missile defense systems in a week and use them against the USA unless they are paid."

Jonny's eyes widened. "Have they been found yet, dad?"

Benton shook his head sadly. "They have so far evaded our efforts to detect them. We did discover one thing that might be related: Professor Lawson was found murdered in his lab not long after we were ambushed."

It was the frustration and anger on Jonny's face that made Benton declare. "This is why I didn't want to tell you, son. This is a very dangerous situation for us."

"You can't protect me forever, dad. Besides, you said it yourself – we have a deadline to find these guys. Hadji and Jessie want to help too."

Benton could see the fierce determination in his son's eyes. Instinct told him that a compromise was in order. "Okay, how about this? Depending on how you feel tomorrow, I'll let you three work with Quest world to see if anything comes forth, on one condition – Race or I need to be with you at all times."

He endured a long hard stare from Jonny. It was nearly a minute before his son finally nodded. "Okay."

Relief coursed through him as he stood up. "Jonny, if you have any trouble sleeping tonight, please come get me."

Jonny rolled his eyes. "Daaad – I'm not five anymore."

Chuckling, Benton smiled as he got to his feet. "Of course not. Night, son."

* * *

The next time Stan entered the small cabin, he found his boss still at the small table staring at a laptop computer screen. He knew that he had been outside for nearly two hours, what could be so important that Rex hadn't moved from the spot that he last saw him in?

Stan had his answer when he walked up behind Rex. On the screen, he could see a fairly detailed map of Maine.

Without turning around, Rex pointed at two different spots on the map. "Now, we're here, and the Quests live – here."

Stan leaned in and took in the information before protesting. "That's on the coast – they'll be expecting something, boss. They'll have it protected."

"Not if we use helicopters. I have a few at my disposal that I will contact soon, Stan - then we'll see who will be taken seriously."

Something about the way Rex made that statement made Stan extremely nervous.

* * *

_More soon of course._

_EDIT: Minor Grammar and wording fixes._

_Till next time,_

_Timeguardian_


	6. Chapter 6

_**A Week to Remember  
by Timeguardian**_

_**Chapter Six**_

The next morning, Jonny came down to the dining room in a daze. As his father predicted, he had a hard time getting to sleep and when he finally fell asleep he dreamed. Unlike the nightmare he had in the car yesterday, he could not remember any of them, much to his frustration.

He made it to the table just as Hadji greeted him. "Good morning, Jonny."

"Mornin' Hadji," Jonny replied while trying to stifle a yawn.

Jessie sat at the table, already dressed in a white blouse and blue jeans. With a full plate of eggs and bacon in front of her, she reached for a napkin and made a comment. "You don't look like you slept any at all."

Jonny did his best to give her a glare to keep her quiet – he was afraid his dad would prevent him from doing anything otherwise. "I did get some sleep."

He was relieved to see that she apparently got the message, for Jessie focused on her breakfast and eagerly dug in. Hadji did the same to the bowl of oatmeal that was in front of him.

Moments later his dad walked out of the kitchen with two plates. "Good morning Jonny. I have your breakfast here. Race ate a few moments ago and is checking a few things for me on the grounds. He will be back later in time to escort you to the lighthouse."

Jonny looked upon the plate of bacon and eggs set before him. His mouth watered – his last meal was at the hospital and despite them calling it a hamburger, Jonny could swear that there was no meat or substance in it at all.

He eagerly dug in, for the moment casting aside the challenges before him.

* * *

Two hours later Jonny showered, got dressed in a black shirt and blue jeans, and came downstairs to find that Hadji and Race were waiting on him, but no Jessie. "Breakfast sure reenergized me – I'm ready to get to work. Where's Jessie?"

Race stepped forward. "Doctor's appointment in town - if everything looks good, they are going to remove the cast from her wrist today. Jessie will be back this afternoon."

Jonny asked. "That's great but shouldn't you be with her?"

Race shook his head with a smile. "One of my friends from Intelligence One is with her – she's safe. Your father told me what you have planned – I need to be here."

"Thanks, Race."

"Did Dr. Quest go to the lighthouse ahead of us?" Hadji asked.

Race nodded. "Yeah, after he clued me in that you and Jonny wanted to get to work, he went on ahead to get Quest world primed and ready for use. We better get going."

The three of them exited the house and walked the winding path to the lighthouse. Jonny remained silent while he walked, taking in the sunny day and the blue sky around him. It felt good to be back in familiar surroundings.

They reached the door to the lighthouse and opened it. Jonny eagerly took the stairs up leaving Race and Hadji behind. Once he was at the top of the stairs, he noticed that the door to the Quest world control area was open.

He walked through and took stock in his surroundings. Nothing had changed since his last session there: on one side was a bank of windows, offering a view of the sky and the ocean crashing against the rocky coast.

On the opposite side was the main hive of activity. A large view screen on the wall displayed various lines of computer code, and two chairs were stationed in front of it, meant for people who were 'logging in' to Quest world. Behind the chairs was a long stretch of computer equipment – some of it linked to their mainframe computer system stored in the lower parts of the lighthouse. There were also two computer terminals with multiple screens, meant to be used to safely monitor anyone who used Quest world.

His father was sitting at one of the terminals. Jonny walked over to him as he heard Hadji and Race come in behind him. "Hi dad, is Quest world ready?"

Jonny watched him look up and smile. "Almost - there are a few more lines of code I want to add, Jonny. As soon as you get your session started, I want to get back to the main house. I need to get in touch with some of my colleagues to find out what Professor Lawson was working on before he was killed."

Hadji spoke up. "You think he was killed by the same people that attacked us, Dr. Quest?"

Jonny was not surprised to see his father nod. "Yes I do."

Race walked over and took a seat at the other computer terminal. "What good would that information do us, Benton?"

"If we were meant to be the only targets in this scenario, then Professor Lawson should have been spared. There must have been something they wanted from him as well, and maybe we can track these criminals that way."

Race nodded. "Okay, I'll stay with the kids and monitor their session then, but keep me updated."

Jonny waited patiently as he watched his dad type in a few more lines of code before looking back up. "Okay Jonny, I came up with an idea – we will start with Quest world scanning your brain. It hasn't been done before but with the capabilities of Quest world, it is feasible. It would take time but with mapping the electrical pulses and neural pathways, an environment could be constructed-"

"and I could possibly walk through my memories," Jonny concluded. "Thanks, dad."

"Don't thank me just yet – the scanning part is going to be lengthy at best. I may be back long before you are finished."

Jonny glanced at Hadji before turning back to his dad. "We've got to start somewhere, right?"

"Okay Hadji, everything is set. Keep an eye on the program that is running and make sure Jonny remains responsive to you," Benton instructed as he got to his feet and handed a visor disc to Jonny.

Hadji nodded and took a seat in front of the computer terminal while Jonny moved to one of the chairs next to the main viewscreen.

As Jonny clipped the visor disc to his ear, he noticed that his father walked over to the door before stopping a moment and turned around. "Good luck, son. I hope this helps you."

Jonny nodded. "Thanks dad. I'll see you later."

Once he left, Jonny settled down into one of the chairs in front of the view screen. Taking a deep breath, he tamped down the small jolt of fear he was feeling. Normally he would be ready and all too eager to jump into Quest world.

"Ready Jonny?"

Hadji's question was the distraction he needed. Jonny nodded with a new resolve and flashed a thumbs-up sign. "Let's do this."

Jonny relaxed in the chair as he heard Hadji call out the familiar commands that would start the logon process. Seconds later an arc of brilliant green light flashed outward from the visor disc and over his eyes – Jonny was on his way.

* * *

Race stretched and looked up at the digital clock readout on the wall. Two hours had passed since Jonny initially logged onto Quest world. He watched Hadji intently study the computer in front of him, but Hadji also had the readouts feeding to the view screen. From what was displayed, the scan was nearly halfway complete.

Race got to his feet and stretched again. "Is Jonny doing ok, Hadji?"

Before Hadji could answer him, an angry buzzing klaxon noise sounded through the room before IRIS declared. "Alert – two unidentified aircraft are approaching."

Adrenaline fueled his moves as he rushed over to the windows to see if he could see what IRIS was referring to. Sure enough, Race spotted two black military style helicopters that were quickly approaching the lighthouse.

His eyes widened. "IRIS, scan those helicopters – what weapons do they have?"

It seemed like precious seconds before the computer finally returned the news he was dreading. "Scanning - each helicopter has side mounted missile launchers and machine guns."

Race shouted to Hadji as he ducked low and headed back to him. "Log Jonny out of Quest world now and get down!"

Seconds later, the window exploded in a hail of gunfire.

* * *

_Thought it was time for a nail biting cliffhanger. -hides behind rock-_

_More soon,_

_Timeguardian_


	7. Chapter 7

_**A Week to Remember  
by Timeguardian**_

_**Chapter Seven**_

Race Bannon experienced gunfire in his years with Intelligence One but never quite like this.

For nearly two minutes he stayed flattened on the floor of the lab as he heard the sounds of bullets and flying glass around him, praying that Jonny and Hadji were safe.

And then as suddenly as the attack started, it stopped. He could still hear sounds of gunfire, but they were now focused outside. Race dared to look up out through the destroyed window and noted the two fighter planes in the sky that were chasing the helicopters. _Thanks, Phil._

He turned around quickly and called out. "Hadji?"

It took a few seconds through the haze of the smoking equipment but Race finally saw Hadji rise from behind the computer he was sitting at only moments earlier.

Hadji was wild eyed and ran towards the chair that Jonny was in.

Race followed his gaze and noticed that Jonny was still lying in the chair, his whole body shaking violently!

He ran over to the other side of Jonny and grabbed the teen's arms, all the while looking at Hadji. "What's wrong with him, Hadji?"

"I am not sure," Hadji said breathlessly. "I was unable to log him out properly before we were attacked. There were times we have had to interrupt sessions in Quest world before but we have always come out of it."

Race braced Jonny by his shoulders, keeping him on the chair. He could feel the tremors through the teen's body. _Come on Jonny, come back to us._

It was nearly another minute before Jonny's body finally stilled, save for a sharp intake of breath. Race stepped back as Jonny opened his eyes, quickly scrambled into a sitting position and held up a hand weakly. "I'm all right."

Race gave him a weak smile. "You scared me, kid. If you can stand, I suggest that we get out of here. No telling what damage the lighthouse took with that attack."

Jonny nodded as he slowly got to his feet. "How did Quest world fare?"

Hadji shook his head as he looked around at the bullet-riddled equipment. "In short, we are back at square one, as it were."

* * *

The fighter pilot with the call sign King's Rook had just finished his job – the two helicopters that he found attacking the compound easily freaked out when he was the first one on the scene in his f-16 fighter jet. He fired upon them, scaring one away and scoring a direct hit on the other one.

He knew his wingman wasn't far behind him, but he still transmitted a status report. "Aces High, this is King's Rook – spotted two helicopters in the no fly zone. They have opened fire on the compound with their guns."

"You've got 'em, King's Rook?"

"I downed one of them but the other one has bugged out and heading for parts unknown. I lost them in the clouds."

Over the connection, King's Rook could hear his wingman groan. "Better alert the task force, then – they are not going to like this."

* * *

Phil Corbin looked over at Jessie as he drove them back to the Quest compound. "I bet that you are glad to have that cast off of your wrist."

Jessie grinned and held up her bare wrist. "You can say that again, Mr. Corbin. I'll enjoy being able to shower without encasing my arm in a plastic bag."

A loud trilling noise emanated from his phone that he docked in a special car charger. Pressing a button, he spoke quickly. "Phil Corbin here."

A low male voice boomed through the speaker. "Thought you should know, sir, two helicopters opened fire on the Quest compound before the designated patrol could intercept them."

Phil's hands tightened on the steering wheel. "How bad is it?"

"They only managed to use their machine guns on the Quest compound, sir. The patrol intercepted them before they could unleash their missiles. The one that was shot down ended up ditching in the ocean. We've got the Coast Guard with Intelligence One out searching for the pilot and any wreckage."

Phil glanced at Jessie before pressing his foot down on the accelerator. "I'm on my way back now."

After they heard a click, he focused on the remaining distance to the Quest compound.

What should have been a ten minute drive was cut down to five as Phil used all of his skill and speed to reach the compound.

They pulled up to the main house just in time to see Dr. Quest running out.

Jessie jumped out of the car and ran towards him. "Are you all right, Dr. Quest? Where are the others?"

"I'm fine…the house didn't get hit so much as the lighthouse did. I was going out the back when I heard you two pull up."

Phil reached them and then motioned towards the house. "Then by all means, let's go check on them."

Phil and Jessie followed Dr. Quest back into the main house, each rushing to get to the path leading up to the lighthouse. Before they could head outside they spotted the figures of Race, Hadji, and Jonny heading towards them.

Dr. Quest let out a sigh of relief and walked quickly to Hadji and Jonny, hugging them each. "I'm glad you two are safe. When I heard the gunfire, I feared the worst."

Jessie rushed forward and wrapped her hands around her dad. "Dad, you're okay."

Race chuckled. "Takes more than a few helicopters to put your dad out of commission, but I do have a few nicks and cuts from where the glass came through."

"Then by all means, let's adjourn back inside the house and check all three of you," Dr. Quest declared.

Phil nodded and quickly dialed a number on his phone. "We also need to have a long talk after I call in a few favors."

* * *

After Dr. Quest saw to patching up their minor injuries, he escorted them all to the living room. Jonny and Hadji sat beside Dr. Quest on the sofa while Race and Phil sat in nearby armchairs.

Race noted that Phil was looking downright grumpy. "So, we waited until you got off the phone, Phil. What's the verdict?"

"Simply put, we're moving you all to a safe house in the morning," Phil declared.

Jonny shot to his feet. "What about those terrorists?"

The question took Phil slightly aback. "We are still trying to find them of course and –"

Anger resounded through Jonny's voice as he cut the agent off. "Meaning that you have nothing. Dad-"

Dr. Quest shook his head. While they were waiting for Phil to finish his phone call, Race had filled him in on the state of the lighthouse and the equipment inside. "It'll take too long to get Quest world repaired. We'll find another way to get their position."

Jonny started pacing before he stopped in front of Phil with an idea. "What about going back to where I was found? Maybe something will come to me that way."

Phil shook his head adamantly. "No, absolutely not, not with the fact that you are alive is out there in the media. Why do you think that you were attacked today?"

Dr. Quest watched as his son turned and quickly headed for the stairs. He called out. "Jonny, where are you going?"

Jonny never stopped moving, but he still answered loudly as he moved out of sight. "To bed. Maybe something will make sense in the morning."

* * *

Jonny only managed to sleep for about two hours before he woke up.

_Today was way too close._

They all seemed to be worried about him but what about those criminals who were threatening the country? He couldn't sleep knowing that he had he possibly had the key to get to them.

He quickly mulled over the options, but only one alternative came to mind. His dad would be mad and worried beyond belief, but if it worked-

Slipping carefully out of bed, Jonny grabbed for his clothes and sat down at his desk. He opened his laptop computer that was on his desk and set to work.

Hadji was finding it hard to sleep, despite being in pajamas and in his normally comfortable bed. He was worried for his adopted family – at least in the past they had a good idea of who they were going up against.

His lights were off, but he had left the door to his room open. A sudden noise roused him from his thoughts. Hadji opened his eyes, and discovered Jonny standing in his room.

In the moonlight that streamed through his window, he noted that Jonny was dressed and had a backpack on his arm.

A quick look at his clock showed that it was three AM. Hadji kept his voice low. "Where are you going, Jonny?"

"I can't sit here and allow dad and the rest of you to be targets. I've got to get my memories back."

He saw Jonny get into moods like this before: once his brother had his mind made up, little would change it.

"And if I go tell Race or Doctor Quest, you will find a way to go on by yourself?" Hadji stated quietly as he sat up in bed, grabbing for the clothes he had laid on a nearby chair.

"You know me too well, Hadji."

Once Hadji was dressed, he got to his feet. "Then you will need help."

Jonny shook his head vehemently. "I would rather do this one alone."

* * *

Rarely did he ever see Hadji angry – when Jonny watched Hadji stalk over and grab him by the shoulders, he knew that he crossed a line.

"Listen and listen well," Hadji stated in a tone that was low, strained, and angry. "You are my friend as well as my brother. I cannot nor will not allow you to deliberately put yourself in danger alone, despite your efforts to ignore it. You will receive my help."

Jonny stared at him before giving him a knowing look. "Somehow, I knew you would say that and I apologize. We don't have much time, then. I pre-programmed a note in IRIS to deliver to dad in an hour, along with a way to bypass the night alarms so we can sneak out. I've also deactivated the GPS beacon in my watch for the moment."

"Then we need to be on our way," Hadji stated, letting go of him.

The two teens quietly snuck out of Hadji's room and to the staircase. Once they were back down to the main floor, Jonny turned to him. "I figure we would ride our bikes…that airstrip is not far from here, we can start there."

"Aha!"

Though the new declaration was low in voice, Jonny nearly jumped out of his skin as he turned to look for the source.

Jessie stepped into view and stood in front of them, a backpack on her back and a frown on her face. "I figured you were going to try this, and I see you've already talked Hadji into it."

Jonny warily glanced at her. "Jessie, you can't talk me out of it."

She reached back and patted the backpack she carried. "I figured as much and on that same note you can't talk me out of helping you either. That's why I packed some scanning equipment and a few surprises. Face it, hotshot, you are getting help whether you like it or not. The current alternative is to face our dads, and I'm pretty sure even thinking about this trip will already merit a week of being grounded. I'm not above shouting right now if it will get you to listen."

He knew that his father thought him way too headstrong, but Jonny couldn't bear the thought of the consequences of not doing anything but waiting for developments. "There are a few days left on the terrorist deadline. You two know full well that the government hasn't made any progress yet."

Jessie nodded slightly before moving aside. "What are we waiting for then?"

* * *

_More soon,_

_Timeguardian_


End file.
